Many individuals with muscular degenerative disabilities are confined to wheelchairs. Due to their limited mobility and lack of muscular strength, the wheelchairs are equipped with joysticks to control their operation. These conventional joysticks typically use Hall Effect technology which requires displacement of the joystick to effect movement of the chair. Typically, a hand, chin, or tongue are used to displace the joystick. Due to their degenerative conditions, those with disabilities often become fatigued on account of prolonged use of the prior art displacement-based joysticks.
In addition, conventional miniature joysticks are fragile. During use, the user may encounter bumps or other obstructions which can result in the joystick coming into contact with their hand or chin. As a result, the joysticks can be damaged, and they are quite costly to replace (e.g., $600 dollars or more). Although some conventional joysticks have plastic enclosures, they are known in the industry as lacking durability.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a durable and sensitive wheelchair joystick with does not require displacement to effect movement of the wheelchair.